Home Office News

Britain has removed migrants from a residential barge less than a week after they moved in after Legionella bacteria was found in the water supply, the government said on Friday.Britain had begun moving some migrants on to the large Bibby Stockholm barge on its southern coast at the beginning of the week as part of its high-profile strategy to deter asylum seekers from arriving in the country. The policy had divided opinion, with ministers saying they wanted to offer basic and not luxurious accommodation to help save costs, while human rights campaigners said the offer was inhumane. "Environmental samples from the water system on the Bibby Stockholm (barge) have shown levels of legionella bacteria which require further investigation…

In February Gard published the results of its review of Lloyds Open Form (LOF). Their review indicated a disturbing reduction in the number of LOF contracts, and noted some other concerns with regard to loss of use of LOF in salvage situations.Lloyds Open Form is a classic and, in my mind, cherished, example of the core beauty of maritime. It combines a large number of maritime concepts into a simple device that solves a complex problem.It reminds me of a few of the lines in the song “Wooden Ships” by Crosby, Still, Nash and Young.

Armach Robotics said on Tuesday that it had reached a major milestone by operating its hull cleaning robot successfully in full over-the-horizon (OTH) mode.In the water in Norfolk, VA, Armach’s hull service robot, was earlier this month monitored and controlled by staff at Armach’s command center in Plymouth, MA, using a 4G modem providing over-the-air connectivity.Once the communications connection was made between Norfolk and Plymouth, the vehicle was able to complete its pre-dive checks on the pier.

Britain says it has canceled a contract with P&O Ferries "with immediate effect" in its latest action against the DP World-owned company following its decision to axe hundreds of staff earlier this year.The Home Office (interior ministry) said it was ending its agreement with the firm to provide contingency travel services to "juxtaposed ports" where British staff operate border controls in Belgium and France to check passengers and freight destined for Britain.It comes after P&O Ferries…

Britain has approved plans to turn away boats illegally carrying migrants to its shores, deepening a rift with France over how to deal with a surge of people risking their lives by trying to cross the Channel in small dinghies.Hundreds of small boats have attempted the journey from France to England this year, across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.Border officials will be trained to force boats away from British waters but will deploy the new tactic only when they deem it safe…

France and UK signed a new maritime security treaty to protect passengers on ferries in the Channel from terrorist attacks."This new treaty strengthens UK security by fully equipping law enforcement and emergency responders to respond to terrorist incidents, no matter where they occur," the UK government said.The UK Foreign and Defence Secretaries are in Paris today for discussions on security issues with their French counterparts.With the signing of the treaty, the UK government…

When Dutch boat captain and engineer Ernst-Jan de Groot applied to continue working in Britain after Brexit, he became ensnared in a bureaucratic nightmare because of an online glitch and says he is now likely to lose his job.Under new immigration rules coming into force, de Groot faces the prospect of losing the right to come to Britain to work unless he can successfully apply for a visa through a government website by the end of June.Following its departure from the European Union’s orbit at the end of December…

In 2001, George Burkley, a maritime educator, wrote a look-ahead article for Maritime Reporter and Engineering News, presenting the benefits and real-world payoffs from using simulators in maritime education. In the late 1990s, new tech and software advances were creating scenario programs that moved a student closer and closer to the realities demanded by, well, reality. “The future is here, and we are ready to simulate it,” Burkley concluded.Burkley is now executive director at the Maritime Pilots Institute in Covington, La.

How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh, that person is a born leader; I could never do what they do as I am not a born leader”? That train of thought has recently come under increased scrutiny and debate as the U.S. Merchant Marine enters the 21st century. As part of this focus, the International Maritime Association (IMO) updated the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) with the 2010 Manilla Amendments.

British interior minister Sajid Javid has said the fast-growing number of would-be immigrants crossing the English Channel from France in dinghies is a "major incident."Nearly 70 people have been intercepted in the past three days as they try to reach England by crossing one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.Javid is also seeking an urgent call with his French counterpart over the weekend, his ministry said."He has insisted the Home Office treat the situation as a major incident and has ...

The UK Chamber has welcomed an announcement by the Home Office to reform immigration rules for international students, extending the time limit to three years for educational courses which are below degree level but subject to MCA regulations that the applicant must spend 12 months at sea. Until now, international students within the Tier 4 (general) visa route are subject to restrictions on the maximum period of time they can study at a specific level. The time limit for those studying at below UK bachelor’s degree level was reduced from three years to two in 2015. The change was intended to bring the permitted study period in line with the standard time spent by resident students studying at this level.

John Parrott assumed the role of President and CEO of Foss Maritime on January 1, 2017, after completing a four-month transition announced last July. Parrott joined Foss in January 2016 as Chief Operating Officer; in August 2016 he assumed the role of President from retiring President and CEO Paul Stevens. Parrott completed a "listening tour" in early 2016, which included visiting Foss employees at work throughout the company. He visited with mariners on workboats in the Gulf of Alaska…

DNV GL is now integrated and fully armed to address the challenges of the day. Drones for tank inspections? Virtual surveyors? Unmanned ships? DNV GL leaves no stone unturned in the quest to bring class into the future as Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO, DNV GL – Maritime, explained to MR in March. Among classification societies DNV GL seemingly perpetually pushes the edge of innovation, with a combined Norwegian and German pedigree and a cumulative maritime experience more than three centuries.

Bluetide Communications’ Access Management Portal (AMP) application for wireless network management is changing the way workboat operators manage data, crew and costs. Thousands of miles, and weeks or months out at sea, the next best thing to physically being there, is an electronic connection home, and today, mariners increasingly are reluctant to board vessels without access to some form of it. Internet access and cheap global roaming SIM cards top the list of desired amenities in recent surveys of seafarers.

Gottfried Knöbel owns almost 1,500 miniature model ships, many of them are Hapag-Lloyd ships. How did he end up with this collection? In a quiet residential district in Cologne, hundreds of kilometers from the sea, Gottfried Knöbel opens the door of his house to reveal an incredible collection that spans three floors. Just inside the door, in Knöbel’s home office, ships fill a giant glass case: tankers, cargo vessels, containerships and passenger ships. Almost all of them are on a 1:1250 scale, only a few centimeters tall yet tremendously detailed.

Sixty-eight suspected illegal immigrants, including two pregnant women and 15 children, were discovered hidden in lorries at one of Britain's largest ports, officials said on Friday. The group was found on Thursday night at Harwich International Port in eastern England during a search of four vehicles which had been on a ferry from the Hook of Holland in the Netherlands. The East of England Ambulance Service said seven of the group were taken to hospital suffering from abdominal and chest pains and were feeling faint, although none was said to be in a life-threatening condition. Local media reported two of them were pregnant. They were later released after treatment and all 68 - 35 Afghans, 22 Chinese, 10 Vietnamese and one Russian - were handed over to Border Agency officials.

Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, has been named as the UK’s new shipping minister. As Shipping Minister, he will have responsibility for completing the Maritime Growth Study. Earlier he was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport on Tuesday, but his specific duties within the department have been announced this week. He replaces John Hayes MP, who has held the position since July 2014 and has been moved to the Home Office. Goodwill will have responsibility for completing the ongoing review of the nation’s shipping industry and its international competitiveness, being conducted by the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency, says a statement of the ministry. Goodwill has some previous experience in a transport capacity.

Danelec Marine has published a White Paper that makes the case for using Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) technology to provide real-time access to data from shipboard systems and sensors. The White Paper, entitled “VDRConnect Bridges the Data Gap,” is available for free download at www.danelec-marine.com/news/white-paper-on-vdrconnect-remote-access-solution.aspx. “The shipping industry has been slow to embrace the telematics revolution that is transforming other transportation sectors, primarily because of the expense and difficulty in extracting data from shipboard equipment and transmitting it via satellite to ship managers ashore,” said Hans Ottosen, CEO of Danelec Marine.

Using the VDR as the Ship’s Data Clearing House provides budget-minded operators with the means, the bandwidth and the economy to monitor critical systems. Go on: dip your toes in the big data water. Big Data. It’s all the rage across the full spectrum of the maritime world. Thousands of data points on 70,000 vessels literally scream out to be harvested and sent back to the home office, all with the intent of making your vessel more efficient, your operation more profitable, the environment cleaner and perhaps, your bunker and maintenance bills lower. The only left to ask is: what’s it going to cost me? Actually, not as much as you might think.

At SMM 2014, Danelec Marine is unveiling VDRConnect, a Web-based remote access service available with the Danelec DM100 Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). VDRConnect is a module that provides selective transmission of data from the Danelec DM100 via satellite to the home office. The module directly connects to the ship’s IT and satellite communication systems with no need for a separate PC. With VDRConnect, the onshore ship manager can log into an IP-based Web portal using a convenient…

The strategy released by the Ministry of Defence, outlines, for the first time, the UK’s approach to delivering maritime security at home and internationally, setting out how the UK organises and uses its extensive national capabilities to identify, assess and address maritime security challenges. The strategy highlights the importance of the maritime domain to UK prosperity and security. It sets out how, through effective collaboration across government, with industry and our international partners, and through the integration of our assets and personnel wherever possible, the UK will deliver maritime security. Maritime security is a cross-government activity which brings together 16 government departments and agencies.

Marine terminal operator DP World engaged CHQ Security Services to act as security and risk assessment consultants for the operation of the UK's major deep-sea container port – London Gateway. CHQ Security Services are acting as security and risk assessment consultants to the project in order to assist DP World in meeting and exceeding the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), the maritime sector’s response to 9/11. The consultancy’s remit…

Wilson Electronics, a U.S.-based manufacturer of cellular signal boosters, is targeting inland and coastal waterway users with a new marine initiative. The development of a signal booster kit that improves cellular coverage for boaters on inland waterways and for near-shore mariners means that dropped connections and no-service zones may be a thing of the past. Cellular booster systems take a weak signal – sometimes too faint for a cellular device to detect – and boost it so that strong, reliable signal coverage is available inside a vehicle, home, office, commercial building, warehouse or other structure. The Marine Signal Booster Kit (SKU# 841246) pairs Wilson’s well established AG SOHO 60 signal booster with the its marine antenna…